Speaker: Ida Delphine, Student
Why is International Women’s Day important to you? How are you celebrating?
Ida Delphine: International Women's Day is important to me, because it is a special day that celebrates women and reminds them of their power and their achievements. Also, there is just something about women coming together for a common cause. Women uniting to foster gender equality because general inequality is real and it is something pretty much almost every woman faces. A Day like International Women's Day, that identifies women that are broken gender stereotypes, women that have changed the world and created so much impact. It's very empowering and motivating for young women because if they can do it, so can I. So that's pretty much why the International Women's Day is very important to me. And I usually celebrate it by reminding myself that I can be whatever I want to be, regardless of my gender. And also looking up to some of these great women and that have created so much impact.
2022's International Women's Day theme is #BreakTheBias. Can you speak to biases we can work to break in our communities and/or workplaces?
Ida Delphine: A bias a lot of women face is they are often not soon as competent to lead or take up leadership roles, and their opinions are often under looked when it comes to decision making. Also, as a woman in tech, I sometimes find it very difficult because I am not taken seriously and I find myself having to work extra hard in order to prove myself in terms of my skills and expertise.
What advice would you give to the next generation of women as they begin their careers?
Ida Delphine: Firstly, I would like to advise them not to feel discouraged or intimidated by anyone. They should look up successful women in their respective careers and try to set them as role models. A lot of times things get very tough or they could feel discouraged, so they should try as much as possible not to give up because these women didn't give up. And finally, they should join communities that support and uplift women.
